KINDERTON STREET FROM CHURCH TOWER 1975

First published on Facebook

 There's a multitude of delights in this slide of Kinderton Street, taken from the Church Tower in 1975. On the left are the Mill House and Dickenson's bungalow, both of which are still with us. Next to the bungalow's garden is a large shop, which I can never remember as anything but empty. The green building is the late and lamented Talbot Hotel, the first pub in Middlewich to have a free juke-box, but only because it was broken. After a large open space comes the row of houses and shops which lead up to Pool Head Farmhouse. Notice, on the right, the various houses and offices which now make up the Kinderton Hotel and K Bar.


EDITOR'S NOTE, DECEMBER 2011: When we first published this posting in April 2011 we estimated the year of the photograph as 1972. We now think it must have been taken later than that as, when we compare it with Jack Stanier's 1975 shot, almost everything in the picture looks very much the same, apart from the vegetation and, of course, the huge changes to the left hand side of Kinderton Street (looking in the Holmes Chapel direction). So we have revised the date of this picture to May 1975 

This photo was first published on Facebook on 21st April 2011. The original feedback is below.

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  Dave Roberts : Notice, too, on the Town Bridge, the complete lack of traffic signals.
  
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  Geraldine Williams There used to be a couple of houses attached to the right-hand side of The Talbot and then some cottages built at right angles to Kinderton Street and accessed up some steps in the large open space you refer to.
  

  21 April at 17:40 · 
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  Dave Roberts Geraldine, you're right. I have it in my mind that this was 'Flag Alley'. I seem to recall delivering some rate demands there when I worked for the MUDC, around 1969-1970. Judging from this photo, it seems to have gone by 1975. And with regard to the empty shop, the name 'Percival' has swum into my consciousness. Were they a removals firm?
  

  21 April at 18:01 · 
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  Geraldine Williams ‎'Percival' is ringing bells with us too. They certainly had an open truck and possibly did removals but weren't exactly Pickford's!!
  

  21 April at 18:37 · 
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  Geraldine Williams btw 'Flores, floruit, floreat Wittona......'
  

  21 April at 21:04 · 
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  Dave Roberts Absolutely! It's amazing how the old place has survived intact, in spite of being engulfed by all the new developments. The pavilion appears to have bit the dust, though. (a reference to Sir John Deane's Grammar School/College. 'Floreat Wittona' was the school song -ed.)
  

  22 April at 20:15 · 
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  Geraldine Williams That's a shame - we had our music lessons in there.
  

  22 April at 20:22 · 
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  Dave Roberts So did we. From Mr W H Horrocks.
  

  22 April at 20:23 · 
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  Geraldine Williams Yes, that's the man! He was also organist at Witton Parish Church. Great respect! Taught me how to sing harmonies.
  
  
  

  22 April at 20:29 · 
  
  
  Facebook feedback from July 2011:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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      • • Geraldine Williams 
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          

          When you compare this photograph with the one taken later in 1975  it's clear to see that Kinderton Street itself wasn't actually altered although the surface must have been improved (it was originally setts covered with tarmac) and couldn't have been widened because of the constraints of the railway bridge. So on the face of it, it was a lot of demolition for the sake of a safer footpath down from King Street and some fancy landscaping! Not that I'm knocking it - it was the making of us....!! Any news on that blue plaque Dave?

          
          

          
          
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          Dave Roberts 
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          

          Good point, Geraldine. Now that we know that St Michael's Way and Kinderton Street were separate schemes (or, rather, we have been reminded of the fact - the intervening years have blurred the two 'schemes' into one) it's clear that the Kinderton Street redevelopment wasn't a 'widening scheme' at all. And the Town Bridge, too, wasn't altered. But what a pity Moreton's Farm House had to go. When I showed these slides to the Heritage Society, back in 1985, that was the one Middlewich building that everyone lamented the loss of.

          
          

          
          
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          Dave Roberts ‎...but, of course, the demolition of Pool Head Farmhouse could be considered part of the improvement of the King Street/Kinderton Street junction.
          

          
          
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          Dave Roberts Oh, and on the subject of the blue plaque, we're holding back until Jonathan becomes Minister For Local Government (or whatever they call it these days). Shouldn't be too long.
          (A reference to the fact that Middlewich Town Clerk Jonathan Williams, Geraldine's son, used to live in a house
          on the 'Boar's Head' side of Kinderton Street -ed.)
          

          
          
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          Geraldine Williams Hahaha!
          

          
          
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          Geraldine Williams I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek about Kinderton Street. It does, of course, give a very pleasing aspect of the town to visitors entering from the Holmes Chapel/M6 end, much the same as St Michael's Way does. It's just a pity that it's mainly seen from a traffic queue!!!